Research

Most of my research concerns participatory music-making traditions of the past and present. As a historical musicologist, I have investigated the US community singing movement of the early twentieth century, examining its influence on popular entertainment and tracing its reverberations through mid-century broadcast media. That work appears in my monograph, Everybody Sing! Community Singing in the American Picture Palace (UGA Press, 2018), and in a variety of book chapters and journal articles. I have also engaged ethnographic methodologies to investigate the present-day activities of old-time string band musicians and Sacred Harp singers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. A common thread of mediation—whether via film, radio, television, or Zoom—runs through all of my research and has become the focus of my ongoing work.

Esther Morgan-Ellis holding a copy of her book Everybody Sing! Esther Morgan-Ellis holding a copy of her open-access textbook, Resonances

I also author pedagogical materials and write about learning and faculty development. I served as editor and lead author for the open-access music appreciation textbook Resonances: Engaging Music in Its Cultural Context (UNG Press, 2020) and have made numerous contributions to the Journal of Music History Pedagogy.

Database of American Sing-Along Repertoire (DASAR)

Database of American Sing-Along Repertoire (DASAR) logo

My Database of American Sing-Along Repertoire (DASAR)  documents the contents of books and audiovisual media used to facilitate community singing throughout the twentieth century. It has been developed over several years and includes contributions from students working under my supervision and collaborators at other institutions. DASAR allows the researcher to easily track songs across media, many of which are accessible directly through the database.

Peer-Reviewed Books

  1. Navigating Stylistic Boundaries in the Music History Classroom: Crossover, Exchange, Appropriation. Edited collection. New York City: Routledge, 2024.   Publisher website.
  2. Oxford Handbook of Community Singing. Co-edited with Kay Norton. New York City: Oxford University Press, 2024.   Publisher website.
  3. Resonances: Engaging Music in Its Cultural Context. Editor and lead author. Dahlonega, GA: University of North Georgia Press, 2020.   Publisher website.
  4. Everybody Sing!: Community Singing in the American Picture Palace. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2018.   Publisher website.

Peer-Reviewed Articles and Chapters

  1. Forthcoming: Politics of Participation in the Television Sing-Along. In The Oxford Handbook of Television Music, ed. Jessica Getman, Ronald Rodman, and James Deaville. New York: Oxford University Press.
  2. Forthcoming: The Making of “Appalachian Music”; Fiddle and Banjo Music of the Southern Appalachians; Unaccompanied Singing Traditions of the Southern Appalachians. In Accessible Appalachia: An Open-Access, Introductory Textbook in Appalachian Studies, ed. Lisa Day. Eastern Kentucky University.
  3. Forthcoming: Race, Gender, and Presentism in the Opera Studies Classroom. Coauthored with Reba Wissner. Invited contribution to Musica Docta. Volume 14. 2024.
  4. Forthcoming: A Century of Singing Along to Stephen Foster. In Critical Approaches to Musical Meaning, ed. Jason Geary, Seth Monahan, and Michael Puri. Oxford University Press.
  5. Mediated Community Singing. In The Oxford Handbook of Community Singing, ed. Esther M. Morgan-Ellis and Kay Norton8-28. New York: Oxford University Press, 2024.
  6. Community Singing in Flint and Baltimore, 1917–1920. Co-authored with Alan L. Spurgeon. In The Oxford Handbook of Community Singing, ed. Esther M. Morgan-Ellis and Kay Norton, 8-28. New York: Oxford University Press, 2024.
  7. Examining Vernacular Borrowings to Denaturalize Western Art Music: The Case of “Hoe-Down.” In Crossover, Exchange, Appropriation: Navigating Stylistic Boundaries in the Music History Classroom, ed. Esther M. Morgan-Ellis, 85-102. New York: Routledge, 2024.
  8. Vocal Fatigue Experiences and Mitigation Strategies in the Sacred Harp Singing Community. Journal of Voice. Published online 2024, print forthcoming.   PDF   DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2024.01.003
  9. Musicking in Lumpkin County, Georgia, 1909–1928. Co-authored with Abigail Cannon, Neva Garrett, and Grey Smith. American Music. 2023.
  10. Learning Advantages of Online Old-Time Jams. Journal of Music, Technology and Education. Volume 15. Issue 2. 2023.
  11. Appalachian After-School Music Programs as Cultural Intervention. Co-authored with Abigail Marvel and Andrew Malphurs. Journal of Popular Music Education. Published online 2023, print forthcoming.   PDF   DOI: 10.1386/jpme_00101_1
  12. Mediated Community and Participatory Blackface in Gillette Original Community Sing (CBS, 1936–1937). Music & Letters. Volume 104. Issue 1. Pages 59–89. 2023   PDF   DOI: 10.1093/ml/gcac061
  13. Leslie Uggams, Sing Along with Mitch (1961–1964), and the Reverberations of Minstrelsy. Journal of the Society for American Music. Volume 16. Issue 1. 2022. Pages 47–68.   PDF   DOI: 10.1017/S175219632100047X
  14. Non-participation in online Sacred Harp singing during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Community Music. Volume 14. Issue 2–3. 2021. Pages 223–244.   PDF   DOI: 10.1386/ijcm_00046_1
  15. Virtual Hymn Singing and the Imagination of Community. Journal of Music, Health, and Wellbeing. Role of Music During Social Isolation. Autumn 2021.   PDF   Publisher website.
  16. “Like Pieces in a Puzzle”: Online Sacred Harp Singing During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology. Social Convergence in Times of Spatial Distancing: The Role of Music During the COVID-19 Pandemic. 12:627038. 2021.   PDF   DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.627038
  17. “Making the many-minded one”: Community Singing at the Peabody Prep in 1915. Musical Quarterly. Volume 102, Number 4. 2019. Pages 361–401.   PDF   DOI: 10.1093/musqtl/gdaa003
  18. Learning Habits and Attitudes in the Revivalist Old-Time Community of Practice. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education. Number 221. 2019. Pages 29–57.   PDF   DOI: 10.5406/bulcouresmusedu.221.0029
  19. A Faculty Learning Community for Contingent Music Appreciation Instructors: Purpose, Structure, Outcomes. Journal of Music History Pedagogy. Volume 9, Number 2. 2019. Pages 173–193.   PDF   Publisher website.
  20. Undergraduate Research and Affective Learning: Examining a Contemporary Music Research Project. Journal of Music History Pedagogy. Volume 8, Number 2. 2018. Pages 174–187.   PDF   Publisher website.
  21. Warren Kimsey and Community Singing at Camp Gordon, 1917–1918. Journal of Historical Research in Music Education. Volume 39, Number 2. 2018. Pages 171–194.   PDF   DOI: 10.1177/1536600616677995
  22. Edward Meikel and Community Singing in a Neighborhood Picture Palace, 1925–1929. American Music. Volume 32, Number 2. 2014. Pages 172–200.   PDF   DOI: 10.5406/americanmusic.32.2.0172

Other Publications

  1. Navigating ChatGPT with your Students. Teaching Academic: A CTLL Blog. University of North Georgia. February 7, 2023.   Blog post.
  2. What does it mean to “revive” old-time music? Music Means. American Musicological Society: Many Musics of America. January 15, 2023.   Blog post.
  3. What is “old-time” music? Music Means. American Musicological Society: Many Musics of America. January 14, 2023.   Blog post.
  4. Review: Danielle Fosler-Lussier. Music on the Move. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2020. Journal of Music History Pedagogy. Volume 12. Issue 1. 2022. Pages 96–100.   PDF   Publisher website.
  5. Virtual Community Singing During the COVID-19 Pandemic. American Scientist. Volume 110. 2022. Pages 350–357.   PDF   Publisher website.
    • Dutch translation: Virtuel fællessang under COVID-19-pandemien. Videncenter for Sang. August 10, 2022.
  6. How Resonances Came to Be. Music History Materials. Kristy Swift, editor. July 26, 2021.   Blog post.
  7. Reimagining Assessments for a Hybrid Environment, in Roundtable: Pandemic Lessons. Journal of Music History Pedagogy. Volume 11. Number 1. 2021. Pages 46–56.   PDF   Publisher website.
  8. “Your network bandwidth is low”: Online Participatory Music-Making in the COVID-19 Era. Critical Studies in Improvisation. Volume 14. Number 1. 2021.   PDF   DOI: 10.21083/csieci.v14i1.6330
  9. Using Database Development to Facilitate Undergraduate Research in the Humanities. Teaching Academic: A CTLL Blog. University of North Georgia. October 1, 2020.   Blog post.
  10. Working with Affordable Learning Georgia to Create and Adopt No-Cost Educational Materials. Teaching Academic: A CTLL Blog. University of North Georgia. March 27, 2020.   Blog post.
  11. Practical and Engaging Alternatives to the Music History Research Paper. Musicology Now. June 13, 2019.   Blog post.
  12. Teaching the Music of Now: A Mission, a Project, and a Conference. NewMusicBox. May 8, 2019.   Blog post.
  13. Dr. Esther Morgan-Ellis: Why WAM? and Create a WAM video with your class. Women in Art Music (WAM!). March 2019.   Blog post.   Blog post.
  14. “Imagine a college student.” American Musicological Society Pedagogy Study Group Blog: The Jigsaw. June 2018.   Blog post.
  15. An Interview Project for the Arts Classroom. In It Works for Me with High-Impact Practices, edited by Charlie Sweet, Hal Blythe, and Russell Carpenter. Stillwater, Oklahoma: New Forums Press, 2018. Pages 77–79.
  16. Music at the Cutting Edge, The Spatial Dimension in KLANG, and Collaborators, Interpreters, and Muses. Essays in KLANG: The 24 Hours of the Day. Philadelphia: Elizabeth Huston, 2018. Pages 7–11 and 28–39.   PDF 
  17. The Memphis Music Scene and Making Human Connections to Music through Take Me to the River. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Blog. Invited contribution. March 2017.
  18. My Composer Interview Project. American Musicological Society Pedagogy Study Group Blog: The Jigsaw. Invited contribution. August 2016.   Blog post.
  19. Song Slides in the American Picture Palace. The Magic Lantern Gazette. Volume 25, Number 2. Summer 2013. Pages 11–18.   PDF 
  20. The Friendships or the Music?: An Inquiry into Which Matters Most to Yale’s A Cappella Community. Published online: Singing Community: Ethnography and the Yale A Cappella World. Website edited by Sarah Weiss. August 2012.   Blog post.
  21. Nostalgia, Sentiment, and Cynicism in Images of ‘After the Ball’. Featured Article. The Magic Lantern Gazette. Volume 23, Number 2. Summer 2011. Pages 3–8.   PDF 

Invited Keynotes

  1. Virtual Group Singing: Pandemic Practices and their Lasting Impact. Annual Meeting of the Voice Foundation. Philadelphia, PA. June 30, 2023.
  2. Virtual Music-Making and Convergent Community during the Pandemic. International Conference on Music Education Technology. Education University of Hong Kong. January 11. 2023.

Peer-Reviewed Conference Presentations

Community Singing

  1. “Sounding Whiteness in the American Community Singing Movement.” Annual Meeting of the Society for American Music, Tucson, AZ (March 2022—moved online).
  2. “Stephen Foster’s Minstrel Songs in the Sing-Along Repertoire.” Annual Meeting of the Society for American Music, Tacoma, WA (orig. March 2021—moved online, June 2021).
  3. “Book Authors Panel Discussion – Reminiscences and Advice from the Field.” Copresenters: Bruce Gleason, Alan Spurgeon, and Jill Sullivan. Symposium on the History of Music Education, Oxford, MS (June 2021).
  4. “The Politics of Repertoire in Popular Sing-Alongs, 1924–1964.” Annual Meeting of the Society for Ethnomusicology, Ottowa, Canada (October 2020—moved online).
  5. “Integrating the Past: Leslie Uggams and Progressive Nostalgia in Sing Along with Mitch (1961–1964).” Annual Meeting of the Society for American Music, Minneapolis, MN (orig. March 2020—moved online, June 2020).
  6. “Constructing America in Mid-Century Sing-Along Broadcasts.” Music and National Identity, Murfreesboro, TN (orig. March 2020—moved online, July 2020).
  7. “Singing the Imagined Community: Repertoire and Identity in Sing-Along Radio Programs of the 1930s.” The Annual Meeting of the American Musicological Society, San Antonio, TX (November 2018).
  8. “The Construction of National Identity in 1930s Sing-Along Radio Programs.” The Annual Meeting of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, U. S. Branch, Nashville, TN (March 2018).
  9. “Community Singing in the Children’s Matinee, 1924–1932.” The Annual Meeting of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, U. S. Branch, Cleveland, OH (February 2017).
  10. “May Garrettson Evans and Community Singing in Baltimore, 1915–16.” The Annual Meeting of the American Musicological Society, Louisville, KY (November 2015). n Also presented at the Symposium on Innovation, Research, and Engagement, University of North Georgia, Gainesville, GA (November 2016).
  11. “Warren Kimsey and Community Singing at Camp Gordon, 1917–18.” The Annual Meeting of the American Musicological Society, South-Central Chapter, Nashville, TN (March 2015).
  12. “Getting Wet in the Early American Picture Theater: An Illustrated Song Experience.” Lecture-recital. The Annual Meeting of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music, U. S. Branch, Chapel Hill, NC (March 2014).
  13. “Moral Uplift in Baltimore, Patriotic Spirit in Atlanta: The Birth of the Community Singing Movement.” The Annual Meeting of the American Musicological Society, Southeast Chapter, Chapel Hill, NC (February 2014).
  14. “Picture Palace Community Singing and the ‘Class House’.” The Annual Meeting of the American Musicological Society, New Orleans, LA (November 2012).
  15. “Sing-Along Films in the Silent Era.” Music and the Moving Image, New York City, NY (June 2012).
  16. “Visiting the Nickelodeon: An Illustrated Song Experience.” Lecture-recital. The Annual Meeting of the Society for American Music, Charlotte, NC (March 2012).
  17. “The Changing Role of Music in Fleischer Screen Songs.” Music and the Moving Image, New York City, NY (May 2011).
  18. “The City and the Countryside in Illustrated Songs.” The Annual Meeting of the Society for American Music, Cincinnati, OH (March 2011).
    • Also presented at the Northeastern Group Meeting of the Magic Lantern Society of the United States and Canada, Storrs, CT (June 2011).
  19. “‘And how they sing with him’: Movie Theater Sing-Alongs at the End of the Silent Era.” The Annual Meeting of the American Musicological Society, Indianapolis, IN (November 2010).
  20. “Nostalgia, Sentiment, and Cynicism in Images of ‘After the Ball’.” Music and the Moving Image, New York City, NY (May 2010).

Appalachian Music

  1. “Musical Leadership in Southern Appalachian Shape-Note Singing.” Co-presenters: Abigail Cannon and Lily Hammond. The Annual Meeting of the Appalachian Studies Association, Cullowhee, NC (March 2024).
  2. “The Hidden Musicians of Lumpkin County, GA, 1909-1928.” Co-presenter: Abigail Cannon. The Annual Meeting of the South-Central Chapter of the American Musicological Society, Dahlonega, GA (March 2023).
  3. “Tradition, Creativity, and Collaboration in a College String Band Program.” Copresenters: Abigail Cannon, Zane Cook, Lily Hammond, Moriah Miller, and Margaret Moseley. String Band Summit, Murfreesboro, TN (February 2023).
  4. “Contra Flow: A collective of traditional Appalachian music, fiddle & contra dance calling.” Co-presenter: Marie Graham. Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference, Athens, GA (January 2023).
  5. “Contra Flow: Community Dance.” Co-presenter: Marie Graham. Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference, Athens, GA (January 2023).
  6. “Media, Participation, and Community in the Old-Time String Band Scene.” String Band Summit, Murfreesboro, TN (April 2022).
  7. “Contra Flow: Culture bearers in community, contra dance, and Appalachian folk music traditions.” Co-presenter: Marie Graham. Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference, Athens, GA (January 2022).
  8. “Learning Techniques of Amateur Musicians in the Instrumental Appalachian Tradition.” Music Research and Teacher Education National Conference, Atlanta, GA (March 2018).
  9. “Learning Appalachian Music: The Impact of Perceived Authenticity on the Tune Acquisition Process.” Southern Studies Conference, Montgomery, AL (February 2018).
  10. “Learning Techniques of Amateur Musicians in the Instrumental Appalachian Tradition.” Poster presentation. Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference, Athens, GA (January 2018).
  11. “Mike Seeger and the Transmission of Old-Time Music.” The Annual Meeting of the Society for American Music, Denver, CO (March 2009).

Faculty Development & Pedagogy

  1. “Music History Texts in the Modern College Classroom.” Co-presenters: J. Peter Burkholder, Danielle Fosler-Lussier, Sara Haefeli, and Kristy Swift. Annual Meeting of the American Musicological Society, Denver, CO (November 2023).
  2. “Open Access Resources in the Music History Classroom and Beyond: A Roundtable Discussion.” Co-presenters: Sara Jo Cohen, Daniel Barolsky, Charles Hiroshi, Danielle Fosler-Lussier, and Jane Palmquist. Annual Meeting of the American Musicological Society, Denver, CO (November 2023).
  3. “Music History Texts in the Modern College Classroom.” Co-presenters: J. Peter Burkholder, Danielle Fosler-Lussier, Sara Haefeli, and Kristy Swift. Teaching Music History Conference, online (June 2023).
  4. “Collaborating with Undergraduates on Research, Writing, and Publication.” Copresenters: Abigail Cannon and Grey Smith. Teaching Music History Conference, online (June 2023).
  5. “Authentic Learning with the Sounding Spirit Digital Library.” Co-presenter: Meredith Doster. Beyond Tokenism Symposium, Teaching Music History Conference. Kansas City, MO (June 2022).
  6. “A Teaching Flight: New Initiatives and Services from the Instruction Subcommittee.” Co-presenters: Tom Bickley, Allison McClanahan, Grace Haynes, Andrea L. Beckendorf, Sylvia Yang, Marci Cohen, Erin Conor, Veronica Wells, Rachel Wishkoski, Anna Schmidt, and Angela Pratesi. Annual Meeting of the Music Library Association, Salt Lake City, UT (March 2022—moved online).
  7. “Collaboratively Developing an OER Music Appreciation Textbook.” Open Education Symposium, online (July 2021).
  8. “A New Tool for Diversifying your Curriculum with Student Involvement.” Copresenters: Caitlin Schmid and Skylar Cibirka. Teaching Music History Conference, online (June 2021).
  9. “Collaboratively Building an Inclusive OER Music Appreciation Textbook.” Copresenter: Rebecca Johnston. Open Education Conference, online (November 2020).
  10. “A Case Study in Open-Access Education.” Teaching Music History Conference, Kansas City, MO (June 2020—moved online).
  11. “Using an ALG Grant to Collaboratively Develop and Publish an OER Textbook for a High-Enrollment Core Class.” Co-presenter: Rebecca Johnston. University System of Georgia Teaching & Learning Conference, Athens, GA (April 2020—canceled).
  12. “Growing an OER Textbook in an FLC Garden.” Co-presenter: Rebecca Johnston. The Annual Meeting of the Southern Regional Faculty & Instructional Development Consortium, Spartanburg, SC (March 2020).
  13. “Outcomes of a Convergent On- and Offline Faculty Learning Community for Music Appreciation Instructors.” University System of Georgia Teaching & Learning Conference, Athens, GA (April 2019).
  14. “Building a Faculty Learning Community for Contingent Music Appreciation Instructors.” The Annual Meeting of the American Musicological Society, South-Central Chapter, Sewanee, TN (March 2019).
  15. “Why and How to Develop a Course-Specific Faculty Learning Community.” The Annual Meeting of the Southern Regional Faculty & Instructional Development Consortium, Dahlonega, GA (March 2019).
  16. “Yelling Whitman: Teaching Prosody by Performance.” Co-presenters: Samuel Prestridge and Laura Ng. University System of Georgia Teaching & Learning Conference, Athens, GA (April 2017).
  17. “Teaching the Music History of Now: An Undergraduate Research Project.” Teaching Music History Conference, Denver, CO (June 2016).